Dear Rosemary
by thegreatersea
Summary: Soulmate AU for Volume 3 Chapter 6. Yang waits in her cell for exoneration when she gets a visitor. (RWBY Secret Santa 2015 gift for tumblr user nngills)


The cell door slid closed with a near-silent whoosh, leaving Yang feeling somewhat cheated. Cell doors always clanged shut in the movies, after all. Of course, the heroes in those movies only ended up in prison because the villain put them there, not because they broke a guy's leg on international television. And there was main problem. She was sitting on a cot in a cell, while the jerk who attacked her from behind was scot-free ( _and he had to have attacked her first, she wouldn't just break someone's leg for no reason she wouldn't she wouldn't she wouldn't_ ). The worst part, even more than the knowledge that she was now infamous across all the kingdoms, was her team's reaction. Weiss's shock, Blake's betrayal, Ruby's flat-out denial.

Yang pulled her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees as she stared at the words on her right forearm. _Well, I was, but now I'm getting you out of here_. Despite how nice the words looked right about now in their loopy cursive, Yang wasn't feeling particularly hopeful. If even her partner thought she was guilty, not even her soulmate would want to meet her now. That was enough maudlin introspection for one day. With nothing better to do, Yang curled up on her side and closed her eyes in an attempt to get at least a little sleep.

* * *

Yang wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep when she woke to the sound of footsteps in the hallway. Rather light footsteps, at that. Did those Atlasian soldiers actually let Ruby visit? She quickly sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, attempting to look at least somewhat composed in front of her sister. Just as she finished, the door slid open to reveal... an empty hallway? Yang jumped to her feet, fists at the ready. Even without Ember Celica, she could at least hold off whoever was coming until the guards showed up.

"Who's there?" Yang shouted. Or, rather tried to. What came out instead was something like "Wh-ghrrk!" as a blur pushed her up against the wall by her throat, slamming her head back. Shaking off the spots dancing across her vision, Yang glanced down to see on of the last people she ever wanted to see. Standing there just under her chin in all her tri-color smirking glory was Torchwick's little assistant - What did he call her? Neo? - holding a finger against her lips. Losing the smirk, Neo fixed Yang with a stare and set her back on the floor. Massaging her throat and keeping a wary eye on Neo, Yang nodded carefully before continuing in a quieter tone. "So, come to gloat?"

Neo's eyes widened and her smirk came back even wider than before. She let out a quiet chuckle, her voice quite a bit deeper than Yang expected, a lower alto rather than a mezzo-soprano. "Well, I was, but now I'm getting you out of here." Forestalling the inevitable request, Neo set down her umbrella and pulled off her right glove, showing Yang her palm. Emblazoned there in Yang's own familiar scrawl were the words " _So, come to gloat_."

Yang backed away slowly, shaking her head as though it would dispel the image on Neo's palm. Neo matched her step for step, until the backs of Yang's knees hit the cot and she sat down heavily. Neo was quick to straddle her lap and pin her shoulders against the wall. "What's the matter? I thought you'd be happy to meet me." Her words were sweet as poisoned honey, and Yang found herself almost agreeing before she remembered just who she was talking to.

Shaking her head to clear the cobwebs, Yang said, "Look as... nice... as it is to finally meet my soulmate, I'm not following one of Torchwick's associates anywhere. I'll get out of here on my own, so just leave me alone."

"And when you do, you're so sure you'll be forgiven by your precious teammates? The same ones who watched as you broke a man's leg without being provoked just the other day?" Neo's eyes lit up with glee at Yang's flinch. "Are you sure you won't let me take you away from here? I won't make the offer again."

"I'm positive," Yang said. "By the way, you're being awfully chatty compared to the other times we've come across each other."

Neo stood back up and retrieved her umbrella. "I suppose you're just so deliciously easy to mess with. Now, let's get out of here. We have an appointment to keep."

"What's this 'we' you're talking about, squirt? What part of 'leave me alone' did you not-" Yang started to retort, before Neo's umbrella rocketed back and slammed into her neck. As she fell unconscious, Yang's had one last lingering thought. _That dirty little cheater_...


End file.
